02 January 2018

Do You Feel What I Feel? Cybersecurity’s Impact of Humans and Machines

As analysts and cybersecurity experts make predictions about the future of cyber and the advancements we can expect to see in artificial intelligence (AI), it’s worth taking a moment to think about the power of machines and their impact on human emotions.

AI holds the promise that someday computers will possess emotional intelligence, but will computers ever really be able to mimic our natural human emotions? Everything from mere words, names, and numbers evokes strong feelings in people, and few names elicit the strong emotional response as that of former National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden.

In what appears to be a gift to journalists and humanitarian workers whose private information could potentially be compromised because of their work, Snowden, now board president of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, in conjunction with The Guardian Project, introduced Haven, a new app to protect privacy.

While there are sure to be a wide range of reactions to the Haven announcement, other headlines of the week have induced awareness, conjured frustration, and even awakened some to action. Here’s a look at some of the last week of the year's most moving headlines.

Dec. 25. It’s somewhat scary to think about, but the continued advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) will make more of the products and devices we use every day vulnerable to attack.

Dec. 26. The fight against “wrong views” by domestic internet users in Vietnam heated up this week. Following through on the president’s promise to control erroneous and dangerous news sites, communist-ruled Vietnam created Force 47, a cyber unit intended to eliminate offensive content and reign in internet use.

Dec. 27. German ambassador Michael Clauss expressed his disappointment that Germany and China have yet to have a meaningful dialogue about Chinese internet controls to the South China Morning Post. His claim that Germany’s requests have “regrettably not yet received a positive response” resulted in China lashing out at the German ambassador over cybersecurity.

In the midst of a talent shortage, it’s a challenge not to envy those who are able to attract talent. North Korea has a wide pool of highly skilled candidates capable of enhancing their offensive and defensive cybersecurity strategies. This fact will hopefully fuel advancements in innovation to fight against future nation-state threats.

A quick review of 2017’s most notable attacks reminds the cybersecurity industry that threats are continuously emerging. Whether it was WannaCry, Petya, Judy, or NotPetya, these global cyber threats induced fear. Fortunately, the reality of risk has many governments, particularly in India, bolstering investments in cybersecurity.

Comments

As analysts and cybersecurity experts make predictions about the future of cyber and the advancements we can expect to see in artificial intelligence (AI), it’s worth taking a moment to think about the power of machines and their impact on human emotions.

AI holds the promise that someday computers will possess emotional intelligence, but will computers ever really be able to mimic our natural human emotions? Everything from mere words, names, and numbers evokes strong feelings in people, and few names elicit the strong emotional response as that of former National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden.

In what appears to be a gift to journalists and humanitarian workers whose private information could potentially be compromised because of their work, Snowden, now board president of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, in conjunction with The Guardian Project, introduced Haven, a new app to protect privacy.

While there are sure to be a wide range of reactions to the Haven announcement, other headlines of the week have induced awareness, conjured frustration, and even awakened some to action. Here’s a look at some of the last week of the year's most moving headlines.

Dec. 25. It’s somewhat scary to think about, but the continued advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) will make more of the products and devices we use every day vulnerable to attack.

Dec. 26. The fight against “wrong views” by domestic internet users in Vietnam heated up this week. Following through on the president’s promise to control erroneous and dangerous news sites, communist-ruled Vietnam created Force 47, a cyber unit intended to eliminate offensive content and reign in internet use.

Dec. 27. German ambassador Michael Clauss expressed his disappointment that Germany and China have yet to have a meaningful dialogue about Chinese internet controls to the South China Morning Post. His claim that Germany’s requests have “regrettably not yet received a positive response” resulted in China lashing out at the German ambassador over cybersecurity.

In the midst of a talent shortage, it’s a challenge not to envy those who are able to attract talent. North Korea has a wide pool of highly skilled candidates capable of enhancing their offensive and defensive cybersecurity strategies. This fact will hopefully fuel advancements in innovation to fight against future nation-state threats.

A quick review of 2017’s most notable attacks reminds the cybersecurity industry that threats are continuously emerging. Whether it was WannaCry, Petya, Judy, or NotPetya, these global cyber threats induced fear. Fortunately, the reality of risk has many governments, particularly in India, bolstering investments in cybersecurity.

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